Easton Firm Again Receives Housing Authority Contract

For the second time this year, an Easton architectural company has been awarded the same contract by the Easton Housing Authority under the 1987 Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program.

On a 4-0 vote yesterday, the board of commissioners approved a $186,500 contract with Buckl and Jankowski for architectural work at the Elm Street and the N. Union Street housing projects.

The CIAP contract originally was awarded in March, but was rescinded last month after the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development contacted Housing Authority Executive Director Gary A. Smith with concerns about the contract.

In that first round of proposals, Buckl and Jankowski submitted a proposed price of $198,000 after the Feb. 11 deadline for delivering documents had passed. Three other price quotes were received before the deadline, but Smith followed the advice of authority solicitor J. Stephen Kreglow and negotiated with Buckl and Jankowski to lower its price. The effort was successful, as a new price of $186,500 was quoted on Feb. 29, and Smith recommended that company for the contract.

Federal regulations do not require that contracts for professional and technical services go to the lowest bidder.

Smith said the agency saw nothing wrong with the award, but it would have to investigate if someone lodged a formal complaint. He said HUD became aware of the contract through news accounts, and that no one actually filed a complaint.

Even though Smith, Kreglow and at least one member of the board agreed everything had been done properly, the award was rescinded because Smith said any HUD investigation - should a complaint be filed - would have delayed the improvements at the housing projects.

When six proposals received in the second round were reviewed at yesterday's meeting, Robert A. Bosak and Associates, Allentown, was the only other company from the first round to re-submit a bid.

The $185,000 price quoted by Robert A. Bosak, as in the previous round, still was lower than Buckl and Jankowski's, but Smith said other factors led him again to recommend the Easton company for the work. Those factors included experience with the Housing Authority, availability and proximity to the work, familiarity with Easton and an inspection of the area where the work will be performed before submitting a proposal.

Smith said he again negotiated with Buckl and Jankowski to reduce its original proposal from $198,000 to $186,500 before making his recommendation to the board.

Thomas Jankowski also provided an update on work being performed at the Delaware Terrace and Delaware Terrace Annex housing projects under 1985 and 1986 CIAP contracts, respectively.

He said work on the interior of units at the Delaware Terrace project is 86 percent complete, and about four or five weeks will be needed to complete the remainder. Work still is being performed to the exterior of buildings for items such as new concrete sidewalks and regrading the landscape for better drainage.

At the Delaware Terrace Annex, design for work on the 50 units has been approved by HUD and bids for electrical, mechanical and general contracts will be sought soon.

The work at Delaware Terrace is being performed as part of a $3,688,000 grant award, while renovations at the Delaware Terrace Annex are budgeted at $1,523,989.

In other matters, Smith said a "security observer" will begin work at the Bushkill House. The person who will fill the job "will not act as a guard (or) take any physical corrective action," but merely report any problems to the proper authorities, Smith said.

The position is funded through the senior community service employment program operated by the American Association of Retired Persons. It will not cost the authority any money.

Also, the board approved hiring a part-time worker for 19 hours per week to help the authority's occupancystaff. Smith said increased requirements from HUD and increased programs handled by the staff made the extra position necessary.